snippets of the weekend 4.10.23

Thursday I borrowed some afternoon hours from the evening and we all hit the beach. It was sunny and warm then at the flip of a switch cold and windy. Standard Easter weekend weather fare, basically. Standard Easter nails also. My brother got a crazy foot sunburn and Rich got hit on the arms. That April sun is a devil for winter skin.

Friday I worked until about 2 including two major deadline items and we took a beach walk around lunch. 

Kate, Rich, Aubrey, Stephen and I went to Cape May Brewery around 4. One more? Turned into four more. We had a great time laughing and carrying on much to the chagrin of a late arriving very serious beer taster man. Thanks to Aubrey our driver we did a singing loop around the neighborhood on the way home and Stephen's feet got a footbath of gross sunburn remedies like vinegar and tea.

Saturday we did a bit of boardwalking and Asbury Avenue shopping in hideous wind. Some did the arcade as well. Mom made sliders for dinner, Kate and the kids headed home, and we hung out at night for the egg dying. I also made my brother pose with his car that got absolutely literally shitbombed on Friday.

Easter Sunday I made devilled eggs and we hauled out all the items for picking. We took a beach walk and a board walk and I had my first ice cream of the season. 

Mom and Rich headed out after the boardwalk and the rest of us sat around with our teeth in our mouth. I was tired and laying down to read before 9 pm.

weekending reels on Instagram 

Another great family Easter weekend!

 

snippets of the weekend 12.19.2022

Friday we were supposed to have a festive night in Cape May but MFD got in an accident on the way to an appointment in the morning and best laid plans and all. He's got some neck issues but in the grand scheme of life is fine, no one else involved but a few kind motorists who stopped to help. The car is another story, so we're in one car right now which is interesting for a person who does not share (me). Friday afternoon I took B&B to the beach to check out the surge from the storm that finally left the area, and we took a long walk at night. Saturday I took care of some stuff we were going to be doing at the shore on the weekend - moving furniture and shit around for the final four windows to be installed this week and headed back to Philly Saturday around noon. Everyone pray for no damage from anything frozen this week down there!

I unloaded all stuff and immediately the Philly house looked like a bomb went off. I visited my nephew for his birthday, then we went to Georgine's where we haven't been in years. It was good. We picked up groceries for the zillionth time. 

Sunday was cooking and prepping for MFD's siblings and fams to come over. We had a nice fun day with everyone, only missing Ali who was working. 

Dinner was spiral ham, spinach casserole, Hungarian mushroom soup (need to do a blog post for this recipe), and indulgent mac & cheese by dwardcooks - really happy with this recipe for a gathering. I channeled Gamma and had some candy trays out for dessert and a modified version of a dip Aubrey made for Thanksgiving - need to do a recipe for that too. We cleaned up and hit the couch by 9. 

weekending reels on Instagram 

Thursday Thoughts - daylight fading come and waste another year

Embracing my not favorite season by finding joy in lights and trees, like this little on on our porch at the shore. I love this little scene.

Sending peace to anyone who struggles in any way through this season - art via

Approaching my Christmas music season. I only listen to it a few days out from Christmas

Eating to clear out the freezers at the shore this week. I had meat ravioli for a dinner and a lunch, and I'm working on burgers with a side of sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts

Walking on the beach 

Working like a dog on two deadlines - one known and one new, and the new one will fuck with some of my holiday time off

Anticipating reorganizing my kitchen in Philly. Those are my wild Friday night plans. One of the pieces for that is this

Wishing everyone would read this, think about it, and go into the new year expending energy on those who invest energy in you and not worrying or wasting time even wondering about people who don't expend energy on you - via this account

Raging over the fact that republican senators were given a powerpoint of the insurrection, Fox news people knew about it and did nothing, and literally nothing is happening. Also raging over Democrats doing nothing, people voting for centrists like Biden who say we'll help with student loans and doing jack fucking shit about them, on and on. Can democrats fucking do something FOR THE PEOPLE like they said they would? Stop reaching across the aisle to obstructionist fucks intent on stripping all rights from women and voting rights from black and brown people and keeping people poor, uneducated, sick, and desperate? 

Photographing dogs in beds

Watching Nothing. I meant to watch Yellowstone every day this week and have not.

Reading I finished The Maid by Nita Prose last night, which comes out on January 4 (different than the Maid on TV, that is based on this book). I'll start another Netgalley book that publishes tomorrow tonight (whoops) - The New Year's Eve Party by Hannah Emery. Thanks for those who joined in on Show Us Your Books Tuesday. The Favorite Reads link up is December 30. I also beta read the newest novel by my friend Shelby for feedback - kudos for writing your second full novel while working full time, Shelby!

Reminding us all via

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Daylight Fading by Counting Crows

Foodie Tuesday

Is Foodie Tuesday a thing? I don't know, but I'm dumping my food stuff here because I was thinking about it last night. Feel free to do the same. I used to post about cooking and recipes so much more. I still have some from like 2019 that I never put up. I might get back into that. 

I know many of you out there are planning out your Christmas cookies. I'm not a baker, but I do accept cookies insert LOL face here. Nevertheless, I am ruminating on holiday foods as one does at this time of year. Mimi's bacon breakfast muffins are always a hit, but I might give the sausage and pancake muffin bites with maple butter by That's What She Eats a go this year too.

My main holiday requirements are easy/can be prepped ahead and put out at a moment's notice. Sometimes things are up in the air and it makes sense to me to have things on hand even if I don't end up using them in December. 

I am big on app spreads around holidays and lean heavily on DiBruno Brothers Prima Donna gouda, pepper shooters, nuts, cold shrimp with cocktail sauce, olives, etc. Veggies and dip - if you ever come to anything I ever have and there's no veggies and dip, you'll know someone is wearing my body as a disguise and it's not really me. I am also a fool for crackers topped with a bit of cream cheese and a delicious jelly. I like to make hot brie bites with jelly/jam/what have you too - Bucks County friends, I highly recommend this from Shady Brook.

Outside of holiday food, I'm trying to introduce variety but not difficulty with year end foods, so checking out posts like casseroles and crock-pots - heavier on the casseroles since I am not a huge fan of the crock-pot. My ideal thing is something easy and heavy on vegetables. Do you have anything you've made recently that would fit the bill?

I'm back into soups. Next week I'll make turkey stock and I'll probably end up doing a take on creamy turkey and wild rice soup with that. Paired with a salad, that's a perfect December meal I can prep ahead of time and just heat and eat. I also adore veggie beef barley - this is a link to that and three of my other top soups.

Food-adjacent: I brushed up on my knife skills with this video. I watch videos like that every once in a while as I'm not a chef by trade and I can get sloppy. I also checked out this post for how to cut a pomegranate. My skills with pomegranates and mangos are very poor and I want them not to be.

What have you made that's good lately? What do you keep on hand in the pantry, freezer, and fridge in advance of the holidays? 

Last day of November...I feel like this year has slipped through my fingers slash blended straight in with 2020. 

10 ways I prepare for a less stressful December

December is by and large the word I hate to use to describe myself or life in general: busy. I have issues with the concept of busy-ness that people hold up like a badge of honor that I would really prefer be more of a scarlet letter but there is no getting around that some seasons in life are more packed than others.

December is a busy time for me at work, as I'm sure it is for many of you. Add in the holiday things to do and be at plus the fact that Christmas is not my favorite season in general and if I don't prepare well I can end up hating December. And that's no way to end a year. As I've gotten older I've been more aware of how to better prepare myself for these seasons, and these are some of the things I do to make December as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.

1. Order cards in the beginning of November. I mail my cards the day before Thanksgiving, so they need to be ordered by the beginning of November.

2. Use my google tools. Google keep for list making, Google calendar so MFD and I who are rarely in the same place can see what the other person has going on and if we need to be at any of those places, and google photos to share pics with people of holiday stuff.

3. Finish Christmas-related shopping by December 1, including charitable donations and shift personal shopping habits. There is nothing that ruins my mood more than being in packed stores full of stressed out shoppers. Having my charitable donations and budget figured out early also ensures that I get things where they need to be on time. Over the years I've also severely narrowed who I buy for and what I buy them. I do not want to crap up anyone's life with stuff they don't want or need and I'm not into exchanging gifts with everyone under the sun or doing gift swaps or anything like that. I also shift my personal shopping habits for groceries and household essentials: I love holiday hours because I will be there at 10:30 pm picking up toilet paper in order to avoid the crowds. I will also order things like that more for delivery.

4. Relieve myself of the idea of doing it all and being everywhere. It's not ever happening, in the holiday season or otherwise. Before you expect that of yourself or someone else in regards to making everything happen or being at all events, stop. It's not fair to hold yourself to an impossible standard and it's an asshole move to press someone else to be and do in order to meet your expectations that will deplete their personal gas tank. Really. Stop it.

5. Remember that I, too, have been a rude asshole in public. Sometimes you catch people on a bad day. I'm not going to let their bad day ruin mine, and I also should not crucify them because I have been a rude asshole also, whether I knew it at the time or not.

6. Clean out the coat closet. I ensure that we have what we need winter wear-wise, and it's a good opportunity to donate any gently used items to populations that need them more than the one time a month they might be worn by us.

7. Purge and cook through the freezer and pantry. I make space and make sure I'm using everything plus I see what ingredients I need to buy for holiday gatherings.

8. Set up a gift station. I set aside a place in my basement to put Christmas gifts so they're all in one place and I always know what I have. This keeps me organized and prevents over-buying.

9. Put winter stuff in the car. Scraper, extra pair of gloves and knit hat...in hopes that one year I will actually have those things in the car BEFORE I need them and am not cleaning off from the first unexpected snow/ice event with a piece of paper MFD left in the backseat and a credit card.

10. Stock my essentials. This includes homemade elderberry extract (I use this recipe sans brandy) that I take daily, local honey, peppermint tea, magnesium and vitamin D supplements, and 49897482497 mistletoe-ish scented candles.

TL; DR: get what I've chosen as must do shit done before December even starts to make space and time for things I will enjoy. What do you do to make December less stressful for yourself?

TWTW - the one with the Easter

Thursday I drove to the shore with Bruce & Bender. Mom and Rich were there and my Easter Basket was an awesome cooler bag with sugar cookies, a candle, and all of my preferred candies. MFD got his own candy. I hung out with them until 9, then worked until 11:30 and was up until 12:40.

Friday began with beach time with Bruce and Bender because Bruce got up at 5:40 with zero fucks given about the amount of sleep people need. It was a nice morning, with a big pink moon in the sky next to the big pink hotel. After that I made soaps for upstairs then got an early start to work. At lunch I painted my nails (Zoya Perrie) and went to the library before moving myself upstairs to work for the afternoon. 

Kate and Dan and kids and Swan arrived and after work we went to the Somers Point Brewery - it just opened last weekend. Close to the house and not bad. My mom loved the tour. We came back to relax and eat. MFD arrived around dinner with Gus and Mae and we hung out at night. It was early to bed for me due to lack of sleep the night before. 

Saturday I slept in until 9 which I obviously needed, and perfect on a rainy morning. I hit Asbury Avenue with the girls to peruse the stores. Notice MFD here with a full beard in the morning.

When we got back, MFD had mutton chops. Debbie arrived and everyone headed to Cape May Brewery while MFD and I took the dogs to two beaches. It was my first time on the beach this year with no shoes and it was awesome. Gus went in the ocean twice and Ben still doesn't have dog beach down. We're working on his barking.

I finished a book and started another, bid Swan goodbye, and when MFD next appeared he had weird sideburns and a mustache. We said goodbye to Kate and Dan and the kids after dinner and by 9 pm MFD was facial hair free because we all did sheet masks and laughed. 

Sunday 

Easter sunrise beach time with Bruce and Bender. 

Coffee with the blondes while Rich was out bike riding + reading and relaxing.

MFD's mom arrived and they hung at the house while we went up to the boardwalk. It was my first time walking it this year. Lots of people out and it was a beautiful day. Debbie and I had to get pics with the Easter Bunny because do you know us?

Porch time and grazing and Easter dinner. My mom brought all the food this weekend and it was awesome not to have to think about what to make or running out to get anything.

Mom and Rich left around 6 and Debbie soon after. MFD's mom hung out with us to watch Game of Thrones. I cleaned up a little, packed up, thought about things I could do and decided not to, wrote this blog, and read.

Weekly food prep: breakfast is greek yogurt with granola and mango until that's done, then breakfast burritos. Three lunches needed, they'll be freezer soups. Snacks are bell peppers and mango. Leftover ham and turkey for dinners with macaroni salad or sweet potatoes and veggies. 

Hope you had a nice Passover and/or Easter or simple spring weekend if neither is your bag. 

While every day is Earth Day, today is the designated one. Hope you are being as waste-free as you can be today!

TWTW - the one that started in 2017 and ended in 2018

If you have to get a security system installed, it's awesome if a friend of 25 years can oversee the installation. Thanks AJ! If anyone is in need in the southeastern PA area, let me know. I got a guy. I worked from home while that was going on and did absolutely nothing Friday night aside from shove Totino’s Pizza Rolls down my gullet.

MFD was in charge of flowers of the week and he did well.

Saturday morning we woke up to snow. I made dinner for later along with Mimi's breakfast muffins and a vat of iced coffee and painted my nails (OPI Berry Berry Broadway and Essie No Place Like Chrome).

We spent the afternoon at Fergie's to celebrate Angie's 40th, and it was Scott's birthday too. It was a lot of fun with great friends and music. And bathroom art. I freaking love art in bathrooms. And friends who carry the Bill of Rights in their wallet - looking at you Chris! Happy happy Ange, welcome to Club 40!

The good was balanced by the bad - Mom, Rich, and Sean had to say goodbye to Yogi Bear. He was a great dog and will be very missed.

Sunday I was out by 9 am, popping in on my niece and nephew then on to Dad and Carol's to help set up their Alexa, then to Target. On New Year's Eve I am always running around like an idiot. I don't get it. Even when it's not planned, it happens. It's like nothing can be done after 6 pm? I don’t know. When I got home we did our year end charitable contributions which was great this year because MFD won the Philadelphia String Band Association raffle so we were able to give more to more charities that are important to us! And we know we'll be good through January and February which are typically really tight months for us. I started to feel crappy so I showered and settled in with a book and the dogs and season one of The Goldbergs. Fucking hilarious. MFD went solo to the two NYE gatherings we were supposed to attend. I missed seeing our friends but didn't want to be the asshole who brought the cold germs. He was home at 11:30 and we rang in the New Year looking the worse for wear. LOL

New Year's Day - Monday - Mummers Day!
It started with a frantic scavenger hunt through the house for MFD's shoes and socks, which I raced to drop off at the club before the band left for the parade. Everyone has traditions. This is ours. I made elderberry extract - I swear my lack of taking it for the week between Christmas and New Year's left me in this position with this cold. I pumped myself up with this so I hope I head it off before it gets really bad.

I spent the morning preparing the traditional pork and sauerkraut and mashed potatoes for the New Year's Day meal. And dealing with a sink leak or clog or whatever that leaked through the basement ceiling. Happy New Year!

My ears were clogged and it was fucking cold so Debbie and I watched the parade at home with snacks. I had to rely on photos from MFD. I missed being down there. You really do need to see everything in person to fully appreciate it not to mention the pictures you get are tops. I also missed catching up with friends I don't see often. If you click on the band name you can see the performance and all have immediate music - Ferko came in 5th with their Peter Pan theme. I loved the Captain and Smee costumes, Peter Pan, and Tinkerbelle - the first female on the street with Ferko, which pleases me immensely. South Philly put on an exceptional show to win it and we are excited for our friends in SPSB as well as our friends and fam in Uptown for their great 6th finish. Everyone has their favorites, and I loved Quaker and Avalon, but Duffy and their mighty kid captain Jake who led the band instead of his dad, who passed unexpectedly in recent months, stole the show - this one is a must watch to the end. I cried at the end of their performance and three times watching video on FB of their prize announcements. I have never been moved to tears by the Mummers Parade before. For a link to all string band performances from the judge stands broken out by band, click here.

Weekly food prep

Breakfast is frozen breakfast burritos - I need to use them up and re-stock. Lunch is leftovers from Saturday's dinner or PBJ on english muffins. Dinner is NYD leftovers and chicken breasts when I need to make them.

Happy New Year!